O God, believing that it is Your own living Word which I am about to hear, I repent of all that would hinder my hearing and receiving Your Word. I ask You to give me a meek and eager heart to receive Your Word and that the Holy Spirit will enable me to understand its... Continue Reading

For those worried about my views on the significance of gender differences, sexuality etc., I refer you to my previous First Thoughts posts passim.   For Aimee’s, check out her book, The Housewife Theologian, which has a whole chapter on the matter. And the fundamental challenge we posed to the organized evangelical complementarian movement still remains unanswered:... Continue Reading

You’re lying awake at 3am and you start worrying about something, and before you know it your being besieged by an army of fears and worries. God’s peace guards you. And it guards you precisely where it’s most needed—at the most vulnerable places: our hearts and minds—our feelings, thoughts and imaginations. These are the things... Continue Reading

Mercy ministry is difficult. We don’t want to write off our responsibility to actively pursue caring for those in need because it is fraught with spiritual and physical challenges. Neither do we want to enter in on the work of mercy ministry out of a naive kindness that can be taken advantage of because of... Continue Reading

So, what should we think of hell? Is the idea of it really responsible for all the cruelty and torture in the world? Is the doctrine of hell incompatible with the way of Jesus Christ? Hardly. In fact, the most prolific teacher of hell in the Bible is Jesus, and He spoke more about it... Continue Reading

The interpretation and application of the Old Testament is multifaceted. As we look to the law of God given to Moses, we ought to recognize its dual nature for those who trust in Christ: it condemns us (showing our continual need of a Savior), and it guides us (directing us how to strive after holiness).... Continue Reading

Forgiveness belongs to the DNA of the new birth, and shows up as a trait of the child of God. It is essential to personal integrity and to the health of the communion of saints. But forgiveness raises a number of questions that must be addressed for understanding it rightly and applying it properly. Here... Continue Reading

Be willing to work at your preaching and teaching. Some guys seem content to just settle in and say, “This is who I am.” Well, we must remember that while we may be boring at times, God’s word is not. It is our job to get out of the way. The first step here is... Continue Reading

“Why would I make it more difficult for the Helper to provide heavenly assistance? Oh, because I am in love with everlasting love, I cannot totally thwart him, for he is omnipotent and irresistible. But why would I “kick against the goads?” Why would I grieve the the one, proceeding from both the Father and the Son, from... Continue Reading

“We can justify anything if we try hard enough, right? But the only way to justify adultery is closing our eyes to the terrible costs it exacts in our lives and the lives of those closest to us. We can all do the math for ourselves, but by my counting there are at least eight... Continue Reading